Gotta pay for those tax cuts for landlords somehow
What is the lowest most disgraceful thing this Government has done? How about cutting funding for top ups of the wages of disabled workers aimed to get them to the living wage?
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C Listers and tag alongs
Christopher Luxon has accused senior business leaders who travelled with a trade delegation with Chris Hipkins of being “C listers and tag alongs”.
Who would have thought that he used to run an airline?
Last year Christopher Luxon said that he would not use Defence Force planes to travel internationally if elected as prime minister. Turns out that this is not actually true.
Safer streets or unsafer streets?
The Government is planning to reverse Labour’s previous policy relating to permanent safe speeds around schools. The change will decrease safety and walking and cycling and increase car use. And the upside is?
National announced more subsidies in farming for capital gains
National and their minion parties just announced another massive $400 million R&D subsidy for agricultural greenhouse gases by taxpayers for the low profit industry of pastoral farming. This joins the other large and hidden subsidies levied on tax and rate payers to support rural and state roads capable of sustained heavy agricultural and forestry trucks.
Haere ra He Wake Eke Noa
It was always going to happen but it still rankles that an attempt to get farming to at least confront the damage it causes to the climate is being put on hold.
Respect existence or expect resistance
Yesterday’s Greenpeace’s War on Nature protest in Tamaki Makaurau suggests growing unity on the left and an increasing determination to stop the Fast Track Projects Bill from being passed.
Lies Damn Lies and Police Statistics
Police Minister has been caught out claiming an increase in patrols in Central Auckland when a proper analysis of the data shows that the number of patrols have decreased.
National’s irksome incompetence is inexcusable
When the fabric of lies unravels the gaslighting increases.
National/Act – good at breaking public services
Today is my 65th birthday. So I’m trying to check out a PDF letter on MyMSD which probably has some details about superannuation. But I get ERR_CONNECTION_RESET consistently. Looks like the idiots in this government have managed to screw up the efficient systems already. The MyMSD site is currently partially dead.
The National Party has a pattern of broken election promises
The National Party has created a new slogan: give New Zealanders a break … in promises!
The Big Budget Backflip *
* or is it?
Budget Smudgeit
Early comments on the budget. Basically tax cuts are being paid by more borrowing. There is no way this can be described as being fiscally neutral.
What does the Government have against Māori wards?
The Government is moving with urgency to reverse Labour’s repeal of referenda for Māori wards on local councils.
What is that word that starts with “C” and ends with “orruption”?
The past fortnight has seen a number of breaking stories each of which raises concerns about the motivations and goals of this Government. It makes you wonder whether the pursuit of self interest is an embedded feature as opposed to a bug.
The Luxon Government’s War on Nature
“But the truth is that real gains only ever come out of a mobilised civil society and achieving a mobilised civil society is exactly what we have to do.”
– Russel Norman
Speech time
In the past week Christopher Luxon and Chris Hipkins have both delivered future vision themed speeches. With some dramatic contrasts.
A one term Government?
The Government is less than 12 months away from a change in the Deputy Prime Ministership and the transition will be a smooth one. Labour needs to be getting ready now. Because for the first time in this Country’s history this could be a one term National led Government.
In defence of Julie Anne Genter
Yesterday in Parliament Julie Anne Genter lost her cool when Matt Doocey misrepresented what the last Government’s NLTP priorities were. Should she be sanctioned? Or should she get a medal for pointing out that Doocey was totally wrong?
Right wing plunges in latest poll
The latest One News Verian poll suggests that the right is in trouble.
This is fine
There is absolutely nothing to worry about if the Fast-track Approvals Bill gets passed into law and Shane Jones gets extraordinary powers to decide on consent applications which normally would be subject to enormous rigour and oversight.
The list
Making a major infrastructure deal happen takes years of planning, exceptionally qualified people on all sides, and in New Zealand it takes about ten years of your life. Until now.
Towards Banana Republic Status
There is a bill before Parliament right now that has the potential of blowing a rather big hole in our reputation as an open and transparent democracy.
At least Chris Bishop sleeps in a well made bed
Having a decent home is a human right
The first Ministerial scalp?
Already we have what looks like an odds on favourite for the first Ministerial scalp.
National only wants to help tenants *
* get evicted more easily.
Back on Track?
National campaigned on the promise of getting the country back on track. How is it going?
The Government thinks that Local Government should determine what works best for them*
* unless they want to set up Maori wards.
The Culture War Coalition
We have just had yet another week of the Government manufacturing culture wars and picking fights while ignoring the big issues. Like dealing with climate change, child poverty and homelessness.
The GCSB revelations
RNZ has reported that a foreign agency collected signals intelligence out of the GCSB for years without ministers knowing. And the collection only stopped after the equipment broke down.
This is what happens when you give landlords a big tax cut #1
No funds to continue to give families of disabled people
Amateur hour
Government members of the Transport and Infrastructure Committee have managed to vote to support a Labour amendment that would make electric vehicles more attractive but submit a report to Parliament that suggested that the amendment had been lost.
National’s Overseas Gambling Levy policy figures are not rock solid
The IRD has estimated that National’s proposed Overseas Gambling Levy Policy will bring in $500 million less than it promised during the election campaign.
Rock Solid Financial Geniuses
The right has this belief that they are economic geniuses. Occasionally this belief is shown to be faulty. Like this week when National’s costings for tax cuts to Landlords was $800 million more than previously estimated.
Tax cuts for landlords will not reduce rents
Recently the Government has been working out how to cut funding for school lunches for poor kids while at the same time it has also announced that it will restore interest deductibility for landlords.
Luxon crashes in latest Curia poll
The Atlas aligned Taxpayer’s Union has released its latest Curia poll results. And the results are bad news for Christopher Luxon.